Purchase of new patrol boats under consideration

As things stand, Gonzi does not need to buy any expensive naval patrol boats. A couple of ferries with built in restaurant and medical facilities should do it. And don't forget to leave space for a welcome band. And a florist.

@I Abela - Obviously you don't see the big picture, or know the elements involved. Please note that the interests between Malta and Libya...is beyond immigration......there is Oil exploration in what is considered as 'Maltese territory' by Malta and Libyan territory by Libya and other commercial interests by Maltese companies in Libya....who are doing a lot of business in Libya.There is a fine line to find a balance between the three.
@ Noel Cutajar - who concluded that the discussions where a failure with Libya? did i miss the article somewhere? Enlighten me please. Or is suppose you are one of those, simple minded blokes, who needs to reed "success in bi-lateral discussion" - article, to really understand that progress is happening. Upgrading our fleet to guard our waters can only be for one reason ('oil').....otherwise we might share mutual benefit in drilling for oil in what both malta and libya claimed to be their territory for the past 30 years....and in return have permission to enter libyan waters to assist in the immigration control! Then again...this is all a chess game. so no one really knows what the outcome will be....not even once everything is signed. ...IF any.

@ Martinelli - I am dumbfounded as to your lack of simple English comprehension! Where did you read any criticism on my part levelled at the AFM? The AFM are there to follow orders and to put into practice the political decisions of the Government.

'Guys like me'tread where we belong because, unlike you, we are discussing internal affairs of our country where we live.

AND HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST THAT I BELONG TO ONE POLITICAL SPECTRUM AND NOT ANOTHER?
Do you think that everybody is like you? Having a pair of blinkers and seeing only red or blue?
Look at yourself! Away from Malta, yet still carrying those blinkers of yore! Get a life!

Some people are best to be left alone, Mr Martinelli because in comparison with you, these people criticise one and all, according to the way they see things. Yes, very alien, for you! But there you are.

The problem with Malta is that we have people of the same mentality as you do: speaking about other sides' and other divisive expressions. Pffft!

@ Mr Martinelli - You seem to have taken your political blinkers with you, away from Malta. Even from afar, you throw up partisan politics and think that others are like you!
And kindly refrain from trying to make us believe that you are aware of what is going on in our country - the country which you may have conveniently left!

Well....this should have been thought of before the summer season started...and most of all before starting the campaigns on the radios stating "if you see any irregularities at sea, call 119". Indeed we did follow this instruction 3 weeks ago, whilst swimming in "Xrobb l-Ghagin, Dellimara" I called up this emergency line and asked if this area was considered as a swimmers zone. The reply I got was "Yes, It is". I stated that there were jet skies passing through swimmers and endangering the life of children who were snorkeling and doing what kids now to do...play. It is their right after all. 6 Hours passed and the sun was going down. No sign of partrol boats and these people continued racing their jet skies and trying to play the cool by creating a havoc.

What do the authorities have to say about this? Are they acting on their advertising, or is it just a scam to try and impress the Maltese. We know that Malta is surrounded by Sea, but they should know that Dellimara area is very well frequented. That is why they should send patrol boats.

...bla,bla,bla....

...what we need is a solution to this problem, not new shiny "ferry" boats for "Sink & Ride" (which is the current service our patrol boats provide).

@ J. Martinelli
ILLEGAL immigration is a NATIONAL issue and not a PARTY issue as you consciously/unconsciously try to imply.

You keyed in:
‘Guys like you* who oppose any kind of progress cannot understand a country's international obligations, so why tread where you do not belong?’
(* referring to Jimmy Vella, Franco Farrugia and A Tabone)

i. ‘…so why tread where you do not belong?:
This is a free country and ANYONE can RIGHTFULLY express his/her opinion.
Who are you to determine who can ’tread’ and who ‘belongs’?

ii. ‘...oppose any kind of progress’:
Re the present issue of ILLEGAL immigration, to what progress are you referring to? The influx of ILLEGAL immigrants is NOT decreasing!

iii. ‘...cannot understand a country's international obligations’:
Apart from ‘a country’s obligations’ there are ‘a country’s rights’ which you tend TO CONSCIOUSLY IGNORE.

iv. ‘snide remarks’:
The adjective you used is very apt to your own comment.


ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is ABOVE party politics.
It is a NATIONAL ISSUE.
Please DO NOT POLICITISE it.

We all need to be UNITED to solve this issue.

We are obliged to speak out OPENLY IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS when the well-being of our country is at RISK.

"The problem of illegal immigration affects the country as a whole…. ," (Dr. L. Gonzi, cf. The Times, 6th August 2008).

The problem of ILLEGAL immigration has its negative effects on INDIVIDUAL LEVEL rather than on ‘the country as a whole’ as stated by DR. L. Gonzi.

It is bringing about:
i. a very real sense of general insecurity and stress (especially to Maltese citizens
living close to open centres),
ii. an outright open defiance of our laws,
iii. a real sense of concern among adolescents,
iv. real worry among young parents who are obviously concerned about the future of
their children,
v. an unnatural division among Maltese population.

Improving the working conditions of soldiers is a DUTY of the government rather than a favour as implied.

ALL Maltese citizens RIGHTFULLY DEMAND better living conditions without stress and anxiety caused by ILLEGAL immigration.
This should be seriously tackled. Words and political alienation will NOT solve the problem. SERIOUS ACTION IS THE WAY FORWARD.

Dr. Gonzi refrained from stating the role of the new patrol boats.
Their role should be to guard our territorial waters and stopping ILLEGAL immigration, rather than to ‘rescue’ that is, to bring more ILLEGAL immigrants in.

I was listening to Dr Gonzi on the tv news and he mentioned about to be humanitarian about these illegal immigrants including pregnant women, well fine, we should help them and care for them for a few months , but then send them back, we (the majority) really don't want them here, and we don't see him or any member of parliament inviting these people to live with them. What I can't understand we have no opposition representing us

The US Navy has hundreds of ships anchored at Suisun Bay, (part of San Francisco Bay). They call these ships THE MOTHBALL FLEET, I'm sure you can get a good deal on one of these ships, I believe they even have a destroyer anchored in there?

Hearing this news the illegals in Libya must have uttered a sigh of relief. Now they are going to have more boats to escort them safely to the promised land.

Oh dear I must have hit a raw nerve and forgot to mention our international obligations and bend over backwards, to bring in anyone that phone up.Does Mr Martinelli realise that there is 4 billion people out there that fall under the UN convention of refugees no wonder the Prime minister is eager to buy new patrol boats

The deeper the illegal immigrants story goes the more I understand how right was Tonio Borg's actions years ago when he enforced detention for illegal immigrants and even more when he repatriated those of them who had no refugee or humanitarian status. what was wrong was that he had no support. Now we are reaping what we've sown. Thanks to UNHCR and other NGO's we are now in a desperate sitaution..........for them and for us too!!!!

@James Smith...the only thing that I am reading between the lines is that we failed in our mission with Libya and we need to step up for the huge problem to come from next year!!! This is why we are contemplating to build our fleet as we need more men and ships to curb illegal immigration. No foreign ships will ever patrol Libyan waters...

@ J Martinelli Sir, since, as usual, you seem to know more than everyone does, could you kindly explain to us what is our international OBLIGATION regarding "An Illegal Invasion"? Please provide sources from where you got your info, not just repeating what politicians say, we already know what politicians say. I also agree that we need a new fleet of patrol boat but ONLY so if another Simshar tragedy happens, we would have the resources to find the survivors. Progress is not about having brand new assets, progress is about using wisely your resources. One patrol boat at Libya, another one at Lampedusa, 2 others in International Waters with Frontex, and only 1 looking for our missing co-nationals. What a progress that is !! All found by some fishermen !!!

@James Smith - Are you serious sir? Reading between the lines? If that is your line of reasoning I'm afraid you don't even know where the lines are, let alone read between them.

I think it's a good idea, buy two top of the line patrol boats. go after the traffickers and seize their boats. Where than can be used for the illegal immigration problems. Once you start taking their source of income, they will go the other way.

First our president makes a visit to Libya.....and high on the agenda is immigration control......and now we need to update our fleet. I wonder if things are really moving on...and a formal announcement made in the months to come to curb effectively the problem. Maybe Libya will let us patrol their waters and escort them back to Libyan shores?????? Are you reading between the lines like i am? fingers crossed!

Thanks Jimmy, Franco and A Tabone for supporting the AFM Maritime Squadron. I am pretty sure that they will think of you whilst doing their job on the high seas.

Guys like you who oppose any kind of progress cannot understand a country's international obligations, so why tread where you do not belong?

But then, with so many illogical decisions made by one side of the political spectrum these days by people like you, it's no wonder that there is a place for you too to make snide remarks!

Keep it up. You make the other side look so much better, these days.

Dr Gonzi should cut off this kind of crap and start doing something about the crisis that Malta is facing with regards to illegal immigrants rather than official visits there and there and all sweet talk.

Oh wow, now there is an idea!!! Waste our hard earned tax money just to put on a nice shiny new face to welcome the hordes of invading illegals . . . gives them all the more reason to believe that they've reached the promised land! What's next??? An immigrants' village at Hal-FarSTAN bungalows for immigrants at Ta' Kandjabad???????!!

We have to BUY boeats says Gonzi.

Now even Gonzi confirms that the EU is taking him for a ride!

The problem is not just illigal immigration, but have you got the funds to run them Dot.?

So far during these last 20 years, even though we had small engined patrol Boats, we did not have the funding to run them or even maintain them!

Now where are the increases in salaries promised for these brave officers?

Maybe we will be able to do all that when the deficit is turned into surplus.

Anno mai, comes to mind!

We should scrap what we got, not buy new ones all we need is a safe ferry service from libya to malta we don`t need no new patrol boats this is insanity.

@ PM Gonzi - Indeed, new patrol boats are very important and much needed. But you have to decide what role these patrol boats will have - whether it is to escort invading would-be immigrants into the country; or whether to stop them in their tracks and safely escort them back to wherever they came from, after having ensured that their immediate needs are seen to.
(Easier said than done, obviously.)

Bit-thank you ma ahna se nasslu imkien Dr.Gonzi. Mhux ahjar naraw kif se nsolvu l-problema tal-immigrazzjoni illegali la flimkien kollox possibli ? Nassigurak l-AFM japprezzawha iktar minn thank you